I like the flavor of pie dough made with butter, but I sometimes like to include a few tablespoons of lard in the dough. The butter gives a lovely rich flavor and tenderness and the lard makes the dough crisper and flakier, and easier to handle. If you don't have good, fresh lard on hand, organic vegetable shortening will accomplish the same result. The butter and lard are cut and worked into smaller pieces in this dough creating a more tender pastry than the crisp gallette dough.

Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, quickly work the butter and lard into the flour mixture until most of the fat has been broken into small pieces but there are still a few large flakes. Don't try to make the mixture look uniform.

Dribble in the tablespoons of ice water, mixing and tossing the dough with a fork. Don't try to force the dough into a ball, just keep adding water until it starts to cling together in clumps. After all the water has been added, check for dry dough mixture in the bowl and add drops of water to moisten.

Collect the dough and press it together into two balls. Shape the balls into plump cakes, making the edges as smooth as possible, and wrap in plastic. Press down on the plastic lightly to compress the dough. Refrigerate the dough for several hours before using to allow the gluten to relax and the flour to fully absorb the water. Dough may be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using.

ALICE WATERS is the owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café in Berkeley, California, and the founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project. She has received three James Beard awards and the IACP Lifetime Achievement award. Her most recent books are the New York Times bestsellers 40 Years of Chez Panisse and The Art of Simple Food, In the Green Kitchen and The Edible Schoolyard.

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